Myrtle Beach Real Estate

Myrtle Beach Real Estate has become rather accustomed to Homeowners Associations.  I would imagine more than half of the communities in our area now have some sort of association.  To some this is a great thing, to others, they hate the idea of having a board tell them what they can and cannot do with their property. 

Here are a few advantages and disadvantages to Homeowners Associations or HOA's.  First, lets discuss some advantages:

1. Get better rates on common utilities.  Although what is included in your monthly fee greatly varies, if it includes a utility you normally are getting a better deal.  For example, one local community called The Farm at Carolina Forest, has a monthly fee of $87.00 per month.  For that fee you get basic cable, trash pickup, & amenities.

2.  Amenities, Amenities, Amenities!  In order for a community to have amenities, they have to be managed by someone and be paid for by homeowners.  Typical amenities could include pools, baskeball courts, playgrounds, lakes, gated entrances, security, tennis courts and much more.

3.  Uniformity to Neighborhood.  This is the biggest complaint that people have in regards to a community.  They do not want to be told what they can and can't do. A community will have either a master deed, or covenants/restrictions that explain what you can and cannot do in the neighborhood.  It does not mean that every single home will be the same.

Why is this good?  Well the answer is easy...it helps to control your neighbors from doing things that may subtract from your home's value.  Here are a few examples of things that it may govern:

• Lawn and landscape-Not everyone is as meticulous as to how their lawn looks.
  
• What is in your yard- If your neighbor had 2 broke down vehicles in the front yard that had been sitting there for 2 years all rusted, weeds growing up through them, it would not help attract buyers to a home next door.
• Businesses/Hobbies- If your neighbor is starting their own rock band, you may be a little bothered by them constantly practicing at all hours of the night.  Most associations address this by having noise restrictions/curfews.
  
• Animals- As crazy as this sounds, there have been several cases where people want to have chickens, roosters, goats and other animals in their back yard.  Some may enjoy being awakened every morning by a rooster, but others would not.
• Appearance- Most HOA's regulate the exterior appearance of the home.  You cannot decide to make your home like a box of crayola crayons by painting half the house blue, half pink, adding yellow and green shutters, and a neon orange door.  Usually there is some sort of style your home has to be and any types of changes have to be approved first by an architectural review board.

So now that we discussed why HOA's are good, here are a few drawbacks:

1. Parking your vehicles- If you want to park an RV in your driveway or bring home a work truck with advertisements for your business, a lot of HOA's will not permit that in the neighborhood.  Also, they not allow a boat to be parked at your home.  Some HOA's are strict to the point of no parking on the street at any time.  If you do, you could get a ticket.

2. Restrictions on landscape & fences- Many of the HOA's restrict what type of fence you are allowed to install and also require approval to make changes to your landscape. (removing a tree, planting new bushes, etc.)

3. Rules & Regulations. If you are not used to living in an area where there are restrictions to your property use then going to a community with an HOA may not be an option to you.  Having to get approval to make changes to your home & land can sometimes be difficult and can cause stress if you are not allowed to do exactly what you want.

Jeremy Blanton-  Myrtle Beach Expert